August has continued the hot summer of activity in our industry. AIAA members and staff have been holding our events, moving initiatives forward, and keeping our conversations going with industry stakeholders, as well as ensuring vacations are taken to refresh us all.
Forums and Events Galore
Our back-to back forums kicked off the month. Both 2021 AIAA AVIATION Forum and 2021 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum delivered value to our audience and met the unique technical content needs of each forum community.
Following this year’s AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, we are transitioning its rich content into our other AIAA forums throughout the year. We believe the disciplines of propulsion and energy are crucial across our industry and we want to expand the reach of these enabling technologies. In the future, propulsion and energy programming will be included during ASCEND in November, AIAA SciTech Forum in January, and AIAA AVIATION Forum in June.
One of the highlights this year was hosting both the AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala and Fellows Induction Ceremony in conjunction with the forum weeks. These two meaningful events were presented online because the world wasn’t ready for us to meet in person yet. It was an honor to recognize so many incredible individuals who bring prestige to our Institute and our profession. If you missed them, you can watch the following event recordings now:
It’s that time of year when we recognize the 56 sections of AIAA with awards for their particularly notable achievements that help fulfill the Institute’s mission of shaping the future of aerospace. The local sections are where the action begins! I was happy to meet in person with members from the AIAA Rocky Mountain Section during my recent travels to Colorado. I’m looking forward to meeting with members from the AIAA Twin Cities Section in Minnesota later today.
Connecting with Student Branches
The AIAA University of Minnesota Twin Cities Student Branch hosted me for a meeting recently while I was in Minnesota. It’s terrific to meet students and faculty and hear their enthusiasm for the fall semester. This branch has used last year’s tragic death of George Floyd, which occurred in their community, as a catalyst to create a new Diversity and Inclusivity initiative.
As a student group, they want to make aerospace engineering accessible to all. They are partnering with other campus organizations supporting minority populations in engineering to offer technical workshops early in the fall semester. The goal is to bridge gaps in students’ past experiences—not everyone had a robotics team to join at their high school, advanced STEM courses available to them, or a handy family member to teach them about building things. By offering exposure and building basic competence (on topics like soldering, Arduino, and MATLAB) in a welcoming, stress-free environment, they believe their fellow students will gain confidence to join other technical spaces and groups. It’s their hope that if students can gain experience or find a passion in casual, safe settings, they can overcome fears in joining teams or fitting in with technical communities.
Plan to Attend AIAA DEFENSE Forum in Person
The 2021 AIAA DEFENSE Forum (Secret/NOFORN) is coming up soon, 14–16 September, in Laurel, Maryland. We hope to see some of you there in person for the first time in many months. This year’s theme, “Sharpening the Competitive Edge Through Aerospace Innovation,” will explore the strategic imperatives of competition—from great power competition to commercial innovation to competing in the marketplace of ideas. Registration is open. Early bird pricing is available through Wednesday, 1 September.
“2021 AIAA State of the Industry Report” to be Released
Earlier this year, we commissioned a survey that has generated the “2021 AIAA State of the Industry Report.” You can check out the infographic summary of the initial insights now. The findings reveal top-line perspectives on the future outlook of the aerospace industry overall, which sectors are promising and which are challenged, the impact of Covid-19, where policymakers should focus, and how employers are demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The data spans the three AIAA domains—Aeronautics, Space, and Aerospace Research and Development (R&D).
We believe this information is vital to share. The advances in aerospace technology and the capabilities over the last century have been essential to economic growth. We all agree—the sector is integral to accelerate innovation in the 21st century.
The free Executive Summary will be available in the coming days, with the AIAA-member exclusive full report published in mid-September.
Looking Ahead
Take advantage of the early-bird pricing for ASCEND registration through 15 September.
The AIAA Professional Virtual Career Fair has been rescheduled to 29 September, 1500–1800 hrs ET USA, to enhance the experience for jobseekers and employers. Register now.
Finally, some of us from the AIAA staff were able to attend the 36th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. We were excited to see several AIAA members and many others from our community in person there. This was the first time in more than 16 months when our community gathered in such numbers. It was great to see and talk with people in person, sharing the latest on the three AIAA domains—Aeronautics, Space, and Aerospace Research and Development – and how we’re addressing the needs of the industry.
As students across the country go back to school in person, and many return to office environments at different schedules, I hope we all benefit from these increased in-person interactions. Please continue to practice safe and healthy behaviors. Everyone at AIAA looks forward to seeing you in the coming months in safe and healthy environments where we feel comfortable.
Sincerely,
Dan Dumbacher
Executive Director, AIAA
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
12700 Sunrise Valley Drive • Reston, VA 20191-5807 • 1.800.639.AIAA (2422)
